Best moisturizer for combination skin | Reviews & Guide 2018

Best moisturizer for combination skin

What is combination skin?

Combination skin is simply a skin with dry skin at some areas of the face and oily skin at other areas of the face. The oily skin usually forms a T shape on your shape with forehead and around the nose. And dry areas around the cheeks, jaw area and along the hairline. This is what combination of skin is. If you think that you have the same skin, you should definitely read this whole article.

It’s difficult to deal with combination skin on your face. Some parts, like the T-zone, Other areas, like cheeks, are too dry. Some creamy moisturizers seem to make the oily parts even worse, while other lightweight lotions don’t hydrate the dry patches enough. That’s why you need the best made especially for combination skin.

Within half an hour after you wash your face, some parts are shiny while others are not

The pores on your nose are larger than the pores on your jawline and cheeks

Your T-zone reacts to the weather, so hot weather means even more oil

You’ve witnessed acne breakouts and dry spots on your skin at the same time

If those things describe you, here’s a little advice on how to stop the see-saw of face care and bring your face into balance.

The best way to care for combination skin

Although it’s tempting to wash away the oil with harsh soaps or dry them up with alcohol-based toners, you’ll only irritate your skin. Irritating your skin will result in a greasier T-zone and acne outbreaks.

The same goes for your dry patches—putting oily creams on them won’t stop the problem either because you can cause there, too. Invest in a gentle cleanser and gentle moisturizers (take a look at the reviews below). Then try these steps:

Morning and night, cleanse, tone, and moisturize. Use a toner with witch hazel instead of alcohol. (A gentle one is listed at the bottom of these reviews.)

Your daytime moisturizer should contain sunscreen if you’re outdoors. Gel moisturizers are refreshing, they don’t clog pores, and they mattify the oily spots. Your night cream or serum can be heavy-duty but avoid oily ones. Try one with retinol if you suffer from acne.

Take off makeup at the end of the day, even if it’s “long-wearing.” Get some decent makeup remover so you’re not tempted to skip this step when you’re tired.

Exfoliate once or twice a week to open pores, and stimulate circulation. Your skin will absorb the moisturizer better afterward.

Stick with the program and you’ll see pleasing results within a few days or a couple of weeks. And now, to help you choose one of the top moisturizers, here are the reviews.

What causes combination skin?Combination skin can be caused by a number of factors. It can also be a part of your genes and can be inherited from your parents. However, it can also be caused by the variety of skin care products that you use. If you use a product that contains skin aggravating ingredients can cause dryness to some areas and stimulate oil production in other parts and this, in turn, causes a combination skin. You can improve your skin by using the right products which will immediately start making your dry areas less dry and oily areas less oily.

What should you do?

The first thing that you should keep in mind is that there is no one-night solution to this problem. It’s not like you will use a method before sleeping and wake with the most perfect skin. This does not happen overnight. The solution depends on how much dry your dry parts are and how much oily your oily parts are. You just have to use the Divide-and-Conquer method. You will have to take care of your dry parts and oily parts individually because both parts react to different skincare products differently.

The ingredients that are oil absorbing or have matte-finish which work great on oily areas will definitely damage your dry areas. So you need to apply a more emollient moisturizer at your dry areas, but if you apply that to your oily areas it will simply make it oilier.

When your skin is either dry or oily

When your skin is either dry or oily, taking care of it is a pretty straightforward process. But when you’ve got a little bit of both, things start to get complicated. Hydrating creams are too hydrating, oil-absorbing masks are too absorbing, balancing lotions never seem to do much balancing. And that’s bad news for a lot of people.

Same goes for your oily skin you will need to use the lightest weight but effective formulas possible. Products with a gel, thin lotion or liquid texture work greatly over the entire face. Now you just have to apply an emollient serum or moisturizer over your dry areas and around your eyes. The only secret to a good skin is knowing where and how to use the right product. The products that you use should never contain harsh or skin aggravating ingredients and you just need to use non -irritating and sensitizing ingredients like fragrance. This will make your dry areas drier and oily areas oilier.

What to do and what not to do?

Using a water-soluble cleanser can be a gentle but effective lotion based or gel textured cleanser. What this does to your skin is that it removes impurities, debris, and makeup without any negative effects.

Protection from the sun is the one step that reduces the early signs of aging now and in the future. Simply using a very light sunscreen and again am an emollient booster to your dry parts.

Using a night-time moisturizer is also a very effective way in this matter. Again it should have a gel or liquid texture.

Applying a non-irritating toner which is also hydrating and soothing filled with a great amount of skin-replenishing ingredients and also antioxidants

The top moisturizers for combination skin

If you have combination skin and it’s very cute, this first one may be your best bet for daytime use.

Cetaphil Fragrance-Free Daily Facial Moisturizer, SPF 15

Cetaphil is made by pharmaceutical company Galderma and it’s a brand that’s often recommended by dermatologists. The Fragrance-Free Daily Facial Moisturizer is very light and non-greasy. You can wear it under makeup with no problems.

The lightweight formula shields you from both UVA and UVB rays as you go about your everyday life (but you might want something stronger for a vacation at the beach). The active sunscreen ingredients are Avobenzone 3% and Octocrylene 10%. When you apply the moisturizer to your face, just keep it away from your eyes because of these two chemicals that can irritate them.

While the Cetaphil formula hydrates your face, it also helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It contains the humectant glycerin and Vitamin E but doesn’t contain parabens.

L’Oreal Paris’ Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care is made for combination skin. One application can last up to 72 hours—but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it every day. It actually means the effects last up to 3 days.

The formula contains aloe and hyaluronic acid for a blast of nutrients and hydration. Customers love its soothing effect on their skin, plus its price is considerably lower than some of the moisturizers we’ve reviewed up to this point.

The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream

The Body Shop’s Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream keeps oily areas under control without making the rest of your face look too dry. It absorbs into skin quickly and feels lightweight. Just a little goes a long way. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Fluide Daily Soothing Oil-Free Facial Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin. La-Roche Posay is another brand often recommended by dermatologists. Their Toleriane Daily Soothing Facial Moisturizer is based on thermal spring water and made. There are no fragrances or preservatives to cause irritation. Some users find it to be the only real solution for managing their combination skin.

Christina Moss Naturals Facial Moisturizer

Oil of Olay’s Hydrating Gel is super lightweight and refreshing on the skin. It has essences of honeysuckle and white tea to soothe skin and shrinks pores. The gel includes a powder that helps control oil and brighten without changing skin tone).

Can moisturizer cause acne?

This is a very important part of as moistened skin tends to loosen sebum built up inside pores. Finding a moisturizer for your acne-prone oily can be tough. The same lotion used on your body shouldn’t go near your face. We wouldn’t even recommend using the same lotion on your neck, chest, back and upper arms since acne tends to occur there as well (hello). When choosing the best moisturizer for acne, steer clear of clogging ingredients like petroleum, mineral oil or silicones like dimethicone, which can cause acne. It’s also best to stay away from anything containing alcohol as drying out skin to control oil production will only produce more oil that can lead to inflammation.

Is moisturizer good for acne?

You want to snag moisturizers that are gel, oil-free or water-based as the lightweight formula gives you the moisture you need without bringing breakouts with it. A few ingredients to keep in mind are salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide as the two fight any existing breakouts as well as prevent any future ones waiting to occur. There are also humectants glycerin and hyaluronic acid that pull water to skin to retain its natural moisture and gentle exfoliants, such as glycolic acid and lactic acid, that work to fade any red or dark spots left behind. When using alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic and lactic), be sure to do so when you’re not using acne treatments containing salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide as using too much of a good thing can irritate and dry skin.

Can too much moisturizer make you break out?

Short answer, yes. Moisturizers are designed to be concentrated and slathering on copious amounts actually won’t make them work better. What it will do is irritate your skin (since it needs to absorb into your skin fully, which is kind of hard to do in layers), possibly leading to breakouts. So, while moisturizer is a necessary step in your acne-fighting regimen, too much can definitely do more harm than good.

Is Vaseline good for acne?

Since it’s been that Vaseline doesn’t clog pores, you can feel safe putting it on your face, even if you’re prone to breakouts. While Vaseline doesn’t directly treat acne, its protective formula can help your skin recover faster from a breakout. It can also help keep your skin moisturized, which, as we know by now, is a must for acne-prone complexions.

If oily sections are leaving your face shiny, another option is also formulated with charcoal, the gel textured formula helps keep skin matte and shine-free throughout the day. For the most effective facial cleansing, use lukewarm water and your fingertips to gently massage facial cleanser into the skin. Even if you’re using an exfoliant, there’s no need to face scrub the skin with your hands — simply rub gently in circles from your t-zone outward. After you finish cleansing, pat your skin dry with a towel; resist the urge to rub a towel quickly across your face. For best results, most people will cleanse twice daily. Cleanse first in the morning before your makeup routine, and again in the evening to remove the day’s makeup and prep your skin for bed.

If you have normal skin

If you have normal skin, i.e. skin that’s not too dry or oily, consider yourself lucky. Almost any product can be used on your face, according to Joshua Zeichner, MD, Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research in Dermatology at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. In fact, your skin is so easy to care for, that you can likely get away with borrowing your body moisturizer out of the shower, he says. For example, Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Unscented Lotion is “strong enough for your body, but gentle enough for your face.” For extra care, add these skincare tips dermatologists follow themselves to your moisturizing routine.

For those of us with combination skin, finding the right moisturizer can be one of the hardest parts of a beauty regime. We want something that really moisturizes the dry areas (for me, around my nostrils and eyes, but often cheeks as well with others), without emphasizing the oily T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) and making it look greasier. Throw in problematic blackheads or acne-prone areas and it can turn into a minefield.

Combination skin: typical T-zone issues/much more enlarged pores in some areas of the face/skin feels dry in some places only/challenging to manage very different skin needs in various areas of the face. If you have combination skin, which is sometimes even considered normal skin, you struggle with some shine, especially around your T-zone, but also deal with dry skin. Your sebaceous glands may be over-productive in some parts of the face, and potentially under-productive in other parts. You can have oily and dry patches, and either well hydrated or dehydrated skin underneath.

Don’t be put off by the “radiance” claim, which can sometimes be code for “greasy”. Apply a tiny bit of the moisturiser and really rub it into the skin and within a minute or two it will be completely absorbed, leaving the face feeling incredibly soft and smooth, which works to protect seahorses from extinction. And a further 10 percent goes towards the ZIWA Rhino Sanctuary conservation in Uganda – so it’s a guilt-free splurge. The one downside for me was the scent, which is strong and really does linger.

Also important? Finding a moisturizer that’s able to multitask. “Consider purchasing products with sunscreen, barrier-repair abilities, and anti-inflammatory properties to act more like skincare and less like just a moisturizer,” says Dr. Lain.

For more articles like this read our other articles, hope this was helpful.